In a significant decision, the Delhi High Court ruled on Wednesday that wearing a mask is necessary even if a person is driving a private vehicle alone.
According to the high court, a mask serves as ‘Suraksha kavach,’ stopping the spread of COVID-19. During COVID-19, the Delhi High Court ruled that wearing a mask while driving alone in a private vehicle is necessary.
Justice Prathiba M Singh also declined to intervene with the Delhi government’s decision to levy challans for not wearing a mask while driving a private vehicle alone, dismissing the appeals.
The Delhi High Court dismissed all four petitions opposing the enforcement of challans on people who are alone in private cars and do not wear a mask.
The Judge added that activists should consider and aid in pandemic containment initiatives without challenging them. According to her, they have a greater obligation to demonstrate compliance, particularly in extenuating circumstances.
Advocate Saurabh Sharma, one of the petitioners, had already demanded a reward of Rs. 10 lakh after being fined Rs. 500.
As per the petitioners, the imposition of such fine was unjust and illegal as traveling alone could not be said to be a “public place”.
The high court went on to say that even though a car is only used by one person, it is a public place.
The Delhi government declared a night curfew until April 30 to combat the spread of COVID-19 on Tuesday (April 6, 2021). The number of coronavirus cases in the national capital increased again on Tuesday, with 5,100 new cases and 17 deaths reported.
The national capital has been subjected to a night curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. until April 30. The number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi has risen significantly. On Tuesday, it reported 5,100 new incidents, the most this year.
